Hey all I have recently come across this effect in the "Past Midnight" DVD series (#2). Benjamin Earl has a slight variation of Chad Long's effect called Shuffling Lessons. I am not familiar with Chad's version (the original I presume), but I really like the Earl variation. Turns out that it is the perfect lead in to my favorite Hold Em poker deal and I am loving it. Tried it tonight for the first time and it got very good results. Just wondering if anyone does this or the Chad Long original, and if you like it or not.

The Chad Long routine is terrific. It requires attentive spectator handling.

Tim

I was completely blown away by Shuffling Lesson when I saw him do it in a lecture. It does, however, require a very close eye on what the spectator does. One little thing wrong, and the effect is, shall we say, diminished.

I do "Sow by the Lug" - great effect and it gets really good reactions. My friend has had standing ovations from it. Spectators are really impressed that they shuffled the cards and you couldn't have influenced them getting the 4 Aces. Like Tim said you need to make the instructions clear and also make sure you don't get to far ahead of the spectators. In the final part of the trick where you have then cut of 4 or 5 cards to make 4 piles make sure you do this quite slowly so they see you only take a few cards. I have had people take too many cards at this stage and not leave enough left from the dealing out phase. Also wait until they have cut the four piles before you start dealing your remaining cards down. Let them follow your actions and see you deal to each pile in turn as you would during a card game. I have had people dealing the last few cards out in random order or a few cards at a time to a pile because I got to far ahead of them and my instructions hadn't been clear.

Have fun with the effect.

Mark

I've been playing around with this over the last few days and love it, a colleague was so impressed he declared the best trick he's ever seen, and I've shown him quite a few over the years!

I use this effect a lot too! He has another variation in GAMBIT as well, called the gambling lesson. I have been using that lately too and its really good!

Best,

Sean

Ive not read the gambling lesson yet

will check it out

Can someone describe the effect.

Deck of cards is cut by the spec,
lots of cuts shuffles and deals later you end up with 4 kings face up on your piles, but they end up with the 4 aces on theres

I really enjoy performing "sow by the lug"

Wait till you see Bens Up for the burn... sweeeeeeeeeeet.

John

Come on Benjamin, your fans are waiting.lol

I really like this re-handling of Chad Long's trick, but could someone please tell me what the heck the title means? Is it just a nonsense name?

From Ulysses Annotated:

"Has the wrong sow by the lug - A stock expression for "he has made the wrong choice"; a "lug" is an ear."

And more:

SOW BY THE LUG: When a fellow wishes to play away upon another, so that he may show his own ability and lower the other's in the eyes of the world, and if this one deceives him and has greater talents than he was aware of, we say he has "taken the wrong sow by the lug." From John Mactaggart's Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, 1824.

Thank you Splice - I've had the same question for years!

Did this a few times tonight at a paid gig near the end of the night doing abit of sit down, and it was the 1 trick they were all talking about for the remainder of the evening

An excellent effect that will fool laymen, and a lot of us.. ...